Page 52 of Always: A Legacy Novel

His mother’s gaze softened. “I suppose he does, huh?”

“I’m not sure what to do.”

“About Catherine?”

“Yeah,” Cross said.

Emma pursed her lips. “Well, give her some time, Cross. Let her figure out whatever she’s got going on. Maybe she got grounded and can’t answer your messages or calls. You do know that’s a real thing, right? Teens do actually get grounded when they disobey their parents. They don’t rebel more, destroy property, and jump out their bedroom windows, in case you were curious.”

“Nice, Ma.”

“Head out to the car. I don’t think these clothes are anything you’ll like, but there’s some cute stuff for your sister. I won’t be long.”

Cross didn’t need to be told a second time. He bolted out of the small Brooklyn clothing shop before his mother could think better of her suggestion. He waved two fingers at the enforcer who was never far behind whenever his mother left the house. Calisto rarely sent a guard with Cross because he was always with Zeke, or Wolf, but his mother’s enforcer was always present for her.

His mother called it a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she knew they were safe when they left their home. A curse because that was just their life; it was an unavoidable disruption that she could never be alone when she was without her husband, and she accepted it being she had married a mafia boss.

It didn’t take long before his mother came out of the store, a bag in both hands, and slid into the driver’s seat. Emma chattered on as she drove the thirty minutes it took to get home, but didn’t seem bothered by Cross’s silence.

“Well, seems you’re going to get your answers,” his mother said.

“Huh?”

Cross looked up to find his mother had pulled into their driveway and parked in front of the large garage. He’d been so stuck inside his own head that he hadn’t even realized where they were. That wasn’t what caught his attention first, though.

Catherine sat on the large marble steps of the Donati home with what looked to be Cross’s leather jacket wrapped around her arms. He’d given it to her a month ago when he was at her house, and it started raining while they were walking through the back property.

He never asked for it back, because shit, it looked better on her.

“Marc can help me with my bags,” his mother said softly.

“Thanks, Ma.”

She waved him off, and Cross got out of the Mercedes without another word. He squinted up at the bright, early August sun as he headed in Catherine’s direction. She stood from the steps, still keeping hold of his jacket, as he came to a stop in front of her.

“Hey,” Catherine said.

“How did you get here?”

She waved at a black SUV parked across the road. “Johnathan—my cousin. Kind of messed up with the whole taking off thing and leaving him hanging like that. Marcellos don’t do wrong by family, or so my dad says. I’m supposed to be making it up to him by spending the day with him, I guess.”

“He just brought you over?”

“I asked, so. Apparently I should have just done that in the first place.”

Cross shifted from one foot to the other, that heavy pressure and deadweight feeling starting to grow in his chest and stomach all over again. Not to mention, for it being a warm day, he was terribly cold all of the sudden.

“You haven’t answered me back for two weeks.”

Catherine wouldn’t meet his gaze as she ran a hand through her loose waves of hair. “Lost my phone and stuff for a week.”

“That’s one. Not two, Catherine.”

They both quieted as his mother and her enforcer Marc headed past them up the stairs, both carrying bags. Catherine spoke first once the front door was closed again.

“I wanted to bring your jacket back,” she said.

Cross didn’t move to take the item when she tried to hand it over. “I don’t want it.”